Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan

Easter was Sunday. The whole family at our house — Mom and Dad, Kevin's parents. Dad is getting stronger. He walked from the car to the front door without stopping, which doesn't sound like much but two months ago he couldn't walk from the bedroom to the kitchen without my arm. The surgery worked. The heart is beating better, stronger, with blood flowing through new channels that the surgeons built from veins they borrowed from his leg. His heart has been rewired. Like Noah's robots. New pathways to do the same essential thing: keep going.

Easter dinner was ham again — the apricot-Dijon glaze that I've made my own since the Weber tradition is roast beef for Christmas and ham is the Holloway Easter claim. Scalloped potatoes. Asparagus, roasted with lemon. Deviled eggs, paprika on top, no relish, the law remains the law. Mom's rolls. And a chocolate cake for dessert because Easter cake in our house is chocolate, not carrot, because carrot cake is the dessert equivalent of a participation trophy — technically a cake but morally suspicious.

The egg hunt was in the backyard. Twenty eggs hidden among Jack's newly planted beds, and Jack supervised the hunt like a park ranger monitoring hikers — "Don't step on that row." "Watch the seedlings." "Emma, that's a pepper plant, not a hiding spot." Emma found twelve eggs. Noah found five without looking up from his phone. Jack found three but also found an earthworm, which he showed Roger with the pride of a jeweler displaying a diamond. Dad held the worm and said, "Good. Earthworms mean healthy soil." Jack beamed. The worm was returned to the bed with ceremony.

Phyllis had a bad day. She called Dale by his brother's name twice and couldn't find the bathroom in a house she's been visiting for two years. Dale steered her gently, his hand on her elbow, and nobody said anything because saying something makes it real and we are all, collectively, not ready for real. Kevin watched his mother and his jaw tightened and he went outside to check the grill, which didn't need checking, but grills and grief are both things Kevin handles with his hands and his silence.

With the ham glazed and the deviled eggs paprika’d according to the law, I needed a side that felt like spring without competing with everything else on the table. This shaved asparagus salad was it — bright, clean, and fast enough that I could make it while keeping one eye on the egg hunt and one ear on Dad telling Jack about earthworms and healthy soil. Sometimes the best dishes at the holiday table are the ones that don’t ask much of you, because you’ve already given everything you have to the people sitting around it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh mint, thinly sliced

Instructions

Shave the asparagus. Hold each spear flat on a cutting board and use a vegetable peeler to shave long, thin ribbons from stem to tip. Rotate the spear as you go. Discard the thin core pieces that are too narrow to shave. Place ribbons in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes to curl and crisp, then drain and pat dry.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
Toss the salad. Place the asparagus ribbons in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat without breaking the ribbons.
Finish and serve. Top with shaved Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, and fresh mint. Serve immediately at room temperature for the best texture and flavor.

Nutrition (per serving)

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan — The Side Dish That Keeps Easter Light